Who makes it: SAGE Electrochromics
A sunny day can send 8,000 foot-candles of light intensity streaming through windows, heating up rooms and glaring off computer screens. But a typical office may want only 30 to 50 foot-candles of illumination, said Lou Podbelski of SAGE Electrochromics.
For buildings that still want large banks of windows, SAGE offers a high-tech solution: electrochromic glass that can shift from clear to darkly tinted at the flip of a switch. The Minnesota company’s panes use a layer of metal oxides — a coating less than 1/50th the thickness of a human hair – that can dim a window within a few minutes.
The windows solve the problems of glare and heat gain without blocking views as shades or blinds do.
“It’s a dynamic solution for what truly is a dynamic problem,” said Podbelski, SAGE’s vice president of architectural solutions. “The sun’s a great thing at some times of the day, but not always.”
SAGE has been offering different forms of the product since 2003. It’s found the most interest from commercial and institutional projects, especially in higher education, though it’s also provided windows for high-end homes. The company expects a new manufacturing plant in Faribault, Minn., set to open in 2012, to make prices even more competitive.
Studies by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that SAGE glass can bring sizeable energy savings, lowering peak demand by as much as 24 percent, cutting energy bills by 15 percent to 40 percent and allowing a decrease in HVAC size of up to 25 percent.
“People like the energy savings, especially because it’s an elegant solution that doesn’t block the view,” Podbelski said. “There’s nothing between you and the outside except the glass.”
The electrochromic element can be controlled in at least three ways: through a wall-mounted switch (with several intermediate settings); through integration with a larger building-control system; or through a custom automated control system provided by SAGE. The last option is the most popular, Podbelski said.
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